Slow Cooker Sausage and Potatoes

 I never think to take a photo, sigh.

This came from Tiktok and is so easy to put together, versatile, and delicious.

Ingredients:

• One (what used to be a pound) of cooked sausage (smoked, turkey, andouille)
• One package of baby potatoes, or cut up larger potatoes
• Vegetable of your choice. I used frozen green beans. My son thought they were too mushy, so next time I will try fresh. Other possibilities include chopped cabbage, carrots, or another firm vegetable.
• Seasoning of your choice. I used Kinders meat and vegetable seasoning. Lots of it.
• Half stick of butter, cut up.

Throw it all in the crock pot and cook on low for about 6 hours (I checked it with half an hour left and it was ready).

Stir and serve.

Marinades

 8 Easy Healthy Chicken Marinade Recipes (Whole30 Paleo Keto) • Tastythin

Healthy Steak Marinades (5 Recipes) • Tastythin

13 Easy Tasty Fish Marinades (ultimateperformance.com)

5 Easy Pork Marinades - Gimme Some Oven

Pork Chop Marinades - Six Easy Homemade Flavors (andianne.com)

Sheet Pan Tilapia and Vegetables

 This recipe came from Gimme Delicious.com. I will list it how I made it.

3-4 tilapia filets (3 was perfect for hubby and I)

3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon mineral salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

broccoli florets (from two heads)

asparagus spears (one bunch)

Heat oven to 400 (I increase mine by 5 degrees because it seems to run a little cool)

place tilapia and veggies on sheet pan covered in parchment paper

mix rest of the ingredients and pour over fish and veggies

roast for about 15 minutes

Delicious and easy!

Lentil Soup

 This recipe comes from Recipe Tin Eats and it's amazing. I didn't make it exactly the same but close.

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (1 tsp minced garlic)
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 cups dried lentils, rinsed
• 14 oz can crushed tomatoes (I used fire roasted)
• 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth (I used 6 cups water and 2 Tbs vegetable Better than Bouillon)
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander (I didn't have this so left it out)
• 1 1/2 tsp paprika
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Sautee onion, carrot, and celery in oil for ten minutes, adding garlic for last minute

add remaining ingredients

simmer for 40 minutes

use immersion blender to blend part of the soup to thicken (I did this but it was pretty thick and probably would have been fine without this. I also used the whole bag of lentils which was a bit more than 2 cups).

We had it with Pepperidge Farm's whole grain dinner rolls (found in the freezer section) and some apple cider to drink. It was a perfect dinner for our first crisp fall day.

Emergency Lunch Ideas

 

• Tuna sandwiches (canned tuna, mayo, frozen bread, celery opt.)
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (obvious)
• Veggie Soup (omit fresh veggies and add rice)

Emergency Dinner 7: Barbecue

 

• 1 pound boneless chicken, cooked and shredded (or two cans chicken)
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce
• 1 large can baked beans
• 1 can corn
• 1 bag frozen collard greens (or canned)
• corn bread, frozen

Emergency Dinner 6: Chicken Soup

 Even though chicken soup is made with mostly perishable foods, it still works for a two week plan because the chicken can be frozen or canned, and the carrots and celery can be used for other items to keep them fresh. Just make sure to always have plenty of carrots and celery on hand and plans to use them. Chicken soup is a staple in this house during the cooler months so they will get used.

• about 1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken (can substitute with a couple of large cans)
• 6 carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• small onion, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 box orzo 
• chicken bouillon for 12 cups of water

Simmer chicken in 3 quarts of water and bouillon (or canned or boxed chicken broth) for about 1.5 hours

remove chicken and add vegetables and pasta and cook for at least 15 minutes until all are soft

meanwhile, chop chicken

add chicken back to pot when pasta and veggies are done

Emergency Dinner 5: Vegetarian Fajitas

 

• 1 can refried beans
• 1 pound frozen peppers and onions
• 1-2 T olive oil
• tortillas (keep in freezer)
• jarred salsa
• seasonings of your choosing
• Spanish or Mexican rice mix

Thaw tortillas on counter, in oven, or in microwave.

Sautee peppers and onion in a little oil (or broth), season

Heat refried beans in microwave

Serve with rice

Emergency Dinner 4: Tuna Alfredo Pasta

 

Tuna casserole morphed into tuna pasta

• 12 oz. egg noodles or pasta (I bought fettuccini because it's easier to store since it comes in a box)
• 1 large can tuna
• 1 jar alfredo sauce
• 1 can LeSeur peas

Cook pasta according to directions

Heat sauce, tuna, and peas

Toss with cooked pasta

Can add basil or oregano as desired

Emergency Dinner 2: Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

 

Compile a two week supply of meals.

The two week plan can include fresh and frozen food items, but the key is to always have the items on hand, which requires some strategy and planning to make sure you have the supply but also rotate it. Because of this, I would prefer to use freezer items than fresh, except for items such as carrots, celery, onions, and garlic, which I use weekly and will store for more than one week.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

• 0.5 C sliced almonds (these will need to be moved from my fridge to my freezer)
• 1 box Uncle Ben's Wild Rice
• 1 can Cream of Chicken soup
• 1 large can cooked chicken (can substitute 1 pound cooked chicken from freezer)
• 1 can green beans (can substitute with frozen green beans)
• 1 t onion powder

Cook rice according to package directions.

Add rest of ingredients and pour into 8x8 baking dish.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Emergency Dinner 1: Pasta and Veggies

 

When I asked the Lord what He would have me do at this time in my life, His answer was to learn about and practice emergency preparedness food storage. My classroom is Inklings Institute on Instagram.

Task number one is to compile a food plan and the resources for two weeks of meals. Thanks to Covid-19, all of this makes sense. If we are exposed we have to quarantine for two weeks. When the reality of Covid first hit, I got myself to the warehouse store and bought food to get me through two weeks. We would have been eating oatmeal, peanut butter and jelly, bagels, and chicken and rice with frozen veggies for two weeks. Certainly not the worst thing in the world, but now I can plan out a bit of variety.

The problem with food storage is that you have to use it even if there is not an emergency, or you will have wasted food and money. This is another reason for planning for meals that you are willing to eat!

Inklings Institute advises us to come up with seven dinners, lunches, and breakfasts and then double it to have two weeks of meals planned and ready to make. I am formulating an organizational plan for storing these items and a plan to use and rotate them so that the food does not go to waste.

Dinner #1 Amounts are for one dinner, based on what my husband and I will eat, with the possibility of leftovers for lunch

Pasta and Veggies

• 0.5 - 0.75 pounds pasta
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 1 pound bag of frozen peppers and onions
• 1 pound bag of frozen broccoli
• 1 can beans (chickpeas, kidney, cannellini, or black)

Another option is instead of having beans, add 1 pound of cooked ground beef from the freezer, but this would have a shorter shelf life.

Pork Tenderloin in Marinade

 This recipe is from Le Creme de la Crumb. The instructions are for grilling the meat, but it was getting dark so I cooked it in the oven at 450 instead. It still came out very good, so either is an option.

• 1.5-2.0 pounds pork tenderloin (I think mine was 1.5 AND I bought a pork loin (not tenderloin) by mistake but it was still good)
• juice of half a lemon (I used 1 T bottled lemon juice)
• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 t Italian seasoning
• 0.25 C olive oil
• 0.5 t salt
• 0.125 t (1/8) cracked black pepper
• 2 t dijon mustard
• 2 t honey

Pat tenderloin dry with a paper towel.

Mix marinade ingredients and pour half in ziplock bag with meat

Marinate for 30 minutes

Roast or grill for 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 145 degrees, turning at least once and basting during cooking.

Let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Slow Cooker Kielbasa and Cabbage

 This recipe comes from Brooklyn Farm Girl, It is so easy to put together and very tasty. A great choice for a Sunday meal that I can throw together and my hubby and I can go off wandering around Georgia, come home and eat! It's also a great Sunday or Monday choice because they are at the end of my grocery week and I don't have to worry about the meat expiring before we get to it.

My amounts were a bit different so I will use mine.

• 12 oz. package of turkey kielbasa or cooked sausage (I used sausage because that is what they had in the store), cut in two inch lengths
• 1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped in fairly large pieces
• 1 24 oz. package of baby potatoes, left whole
• 1 pound back of baby carrots (the recipe doesn't call for it but they would be great to add)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 0.5 t salt
• 0.5 t pepper
• 1 t chopped garlic
• 2 T brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Oven Roasted Sausage and Peppers

 This recipe comes from wellplated.com and is absolutely delicious and easy.

General oven roasting directions:

• heat oven to 400 degrees (unless otherwise stated)
• line sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper (foil is easier if you want to capture the juices)
• mix ingredients in a large bowl with the liquids and seasonings
• spread on baking sheet

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. package pre-cooked Italian chicken or turkey sausage, sliced
• 3 bell peppers, various colors, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 t red wine vinegar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (2 t)
• .5 t kosher salt
• .5 t basil
• .5 t oregano
• .25 t ground black pepper
• .25 t red pepper flakes

Roast for about 35 minutes, stirring halfway

Sheet Chicken and Vegetables

 This recipe comes from wellplated.com and is absolutely delicious. I am done struggling with stir fry, this is my new go-to. The seasoning is perfect. I did not use sweet potatoes (if you do, you are supposed to start them first, see original recipe).

boneless chicken (I used three breasts)

veggies of your choice, I used:

small head of broccoli, cut up

2 peppers, cut in chunks

1 large zucchini, cut in chunks

sliced carrots, about 1.5-2 cups

place in a bowl and mix with

3 T extra virgin olive oil

2 T lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)

2.5t Italian seasoning

1 t salt

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

.5 t pepper

stir well and roast in 400 degree oven, stirring once in between

It took about 45 minutes with the amount of food I had on the tray. If you use less and the items are spaced out a bit, it will be a lot less time, just keep an eye on it.

Broccoli Slaw

Again I have found the ultimate recipe for broccoli slaw and the key is the dressing. It's not sweet, although it does call for some sugar. I had to make four times the dressing that the recipe calls for. I started with two large bunches of broccoli crowns and I cannot deal with cutting it in julienne strips so I just chopped it all up in my Ninja. Then I shredded four large carrots and threw in what was left of the slivered almonds I bought for another salad (about 1/2 C?). It made SO MUCH. It filled my largest bowl and we will be eating this for a week. In the future I will just buy the bags of broccoli slaw mix because I cannot judge amounts and it makes such a mess to cut up broccoli.  But this is the recipe I will use. It comes from the website Add A Pinch.

2 12 ounce bags broccoli slaw

1/2 onion, chopped

1/4 C mayonnaise

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sugar

juice of 1 lime - I used a T of lime juice (x 4)

salt and pepper to taste (I used 1/2 t salt x 4)

(I will add some sunflower seeds if I have them)

I love this dressing! 

Coleslaw

This is Hellman's mayonnaise's simple coleslaw recipe (and their picture).

My mother in-law's coleslaw is the best but this is so easy to make that it is my go-to. Plus the dressing amounts are catered to a bag of store bought slaw. I cut the amount of sugar in half.

1 lb package coleslaw mix

1 C mayonnaise

2 T lemon juice

1 T sugar

.5 t salt

Mix dressing ingredients and then mix with coleslaw mix.

The Best Bean Salad

I go on quests to find "the" recipe that I will always use. Sometimes I will try something different just for fun but will go back to my standard because it's the best. I shared a recipe for Cowboy Caviar which was pretty good but this is the recipe I will repeatedly use. The ingredients are pretty much the same (this one called for just black beans but the ingredients could be whatever I want) but the key is the dressing. Equal parts oil and vinegar and NO SUGAR. This recipe came from the website CookieandKate but I did not make it exactly like she did. I used canned beans and corn and bottled lime juice but it was still absolutely delicious. (I am still seeking THE go to baked bean recipe.)

VEGGIES

3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or 4.5 C cooked)

1 can corn, drained, or from 2 ears of corn, or 1 C frozen, thawed

chopped peppers (I used 1 orange, 1 yellow, and 1 red this time)

chopped onion

small tomatoes halved or quartered (she called for 1 cup but use as much as you like)

.5 C chopped parsley (or cilantro)

DRESSING

.25 C olive oil

.25 C white vinegar

2 T lime juice

.5 t chili powder

.5 t ground cumin

.5 t salt

Combine veggies, combine dressing ingredients, and mix the two together.

Broccoli Slaw

I was going to just cook broccoli but why do that when I had the ingredients to make this salad when it's 90 degrees outside? Cold foods for the win!

This is adapted from acouplecooks.com

@ 1.5 pounds broccoli florets, chopped

2 medium carrots or as much as you like, shredded

@ 1/3 C sunflower seeds

Dressing:

.5 C mayo

2 T apple cider vinegar

2 T maple syrup (or sugar)

.5 t celery seed

.5 t salt

Mix veggies and seeds. Mix dressing ingredients, pour into veggies, stir, refrigerate. Done. Quick and easy.

Cowboy Caviar

• .5 C olive oil
• .25 C sugar
• .25 C white wine vinegar
• 1 t chili powder
• 1 t salt
• 1 pound roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can black eyed peas
• 1 can sweet corn
• 1 red onion, diced
• .5 C diced green pepper
• .5 C diced red pepper
• parsley

mix dressing, add beans and veggie, toss, and refrigerate